The Medium

FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank of this configuration in The Medium?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2026 out of 2911 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83807) and 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090). It trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 (85072) by 1.3%.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER sits at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 18093. Its closest rival is the RTX 3060 Mobile at 18159, a difference of -0.4%.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 57, with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS. This is the only settings level at this resolution that reports min/max values.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance compare to its single-core performance?

A: The CPU achieves 51731 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7303 points in single-core. The multi-core score is roughly 7 times higher, reflecting the 24-core/24-thread configuration versus the single-thread result.

Q: Is the GPU's memory bandwidth sufficient for this game's demands?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The measured FPS data shows this is adequate for playable frame rates at Medium settings across all resolutions, though Ultra settings drop below 35 FPS at every resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with the TU106 chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The GPU contains 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, along with 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores for hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI features.

In The Medium, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution scales. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 92 FPS average, but at 4K Low, that drops to 61 FPS — a reduction of 31 FPS purely from resolution scaling. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a key factor here; the game's fixed camera angles and detailed environments require substantial texture memory, and the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth helps maintain consistent frame pacing at Medium settings.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 7.181 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s give it enough raw throughput for 60+ FPS at Low settings across all tested resolutions. However, the data shows that pushing to High or Ultra settings places significant strain on the TU106 chip. At 1440p High, the average FPS falls to 35, and at 4K High it drops to 27 — both below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for playable horror experiences.

The RTX 2060 SUPER's percentile ranking of 62 places it in the upper-middle range of all GPUs, but its nearest rivals include the RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, -0.4% difference) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, -0.5%), indicating that this GPU is competitive with laptop-class solutions rather than desktop high-end parts. The measured data confirms this positioning: the GPU delivers playable frame rates at Medium settings but struggles with the game's higher presets, particularly at 4K where even Medium only reaches 38 FPS average.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that identifies the GPU as the primary limiting factor in this combo. Moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K at each settings level shows consistent frame rate drops that correlate with pixel count increases.

At Low settings, the average FPS scales from 92 at 1080p to 77 at 1440p (a 16.3% drop) and then to 61 at 4K (a 20.8% drop from 1440p). This linear scaling suggests that at Low settings, the GPU is still able to maintain relatively high throughput, but the trend line indicates diminishing returns as resolution increases. The 4K Low result of 61 FPS is still above the 60 FPS threshold, showing that the RTX 2060 SUPER can handle this game at maximum resolution when visual effects are minimized.

At Medium settings, the scaling becomes steeper: 57 FPS at 1080p, 48 FPS at 1440p (a 15.8% drop), and 38 FPS at 4K (a 20.8% drop from 1440p). The min/max values at Medium settings — ranging from 49-66 at 1080p, 41-55 at 1440p, and 32-43 at 4K — show that frame time consistency degrades with resolution. The gap between minimum and average FPS widens from 8 FPS at 1080p to 10 FPS at 1440p and 6 FPS at 4K, indicating increased frame time variance at higher resolutions.

High settings tell a more concerning story: 41 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p (a 14.6% drop), and 27 FPS at 4K (a 22.9% drop from 1440p). The 4K High result falls below 30 FPS, making this combination unsuitable for smooth gameplay at that resolution. Ultra settings follow a similar pattern: 33 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p (an 18.2% drop), and 21 FPS at 4K (a 22.2% drop from 1440p). All Ultra results are below 35 FPS, confirming that this preset is not viable on this hardware.

The scaling analysis points to the GPU as the limiting component. The CPU's 24 cores and 5.80 GHz boost clock are more than sufficient for this game's demands, and the measured FPS drops align with the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth constraints. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for 1080p and 1440p Medium, but at 4K the pixel throughput requirement exceeds what the TU106 can deliver at higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance for this combo across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS of 57 with a minimum of 49 ensures mostly smooth gameplay with occasional dips during intense scenes. At 1440p Medium, the average of 48 FPS with a minimum of 41 remains playable, though the lower minimum suggests some stuttering in demanding sequences.

Low settings are the only preset that achieves consistently high frame rates at every resolution. The 1080p Low result of 92 FPS average is excellent for competitive play or for players who prioritize smoothness above all else. At 1440p Low, the 77 FPS average still provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, and even 4K Low reaches 61 FPS, making it the only 4K preset that hits the 60 FPS target.

High settings are marginal at best. The 1080p High average of 41 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold, and while it may be acceptable for a slower-paced horror game, the 1440p High result of 35 FPS and 4K High of 27 FPS are increasingly problematic. The 4K High result drops below 30 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for playable frame rates.

Ultra settings are not recommended on this hardware. All Ultra results — 33 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K — fall below 35 FPS, with the 4K result being nearly unplayable. The visual fidelity gains from Ultra over High are unlikely to justify the 25-30% performance hit observed in the data.

The recommended configuration is Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p, depending on the player's display resolution and tolerance for frame rate fluctuations. For players with 4K displays, Low settings at 61 FPS average provide the only viable option for smooth gameplay, though the visual compromise is significant. The min FPS of 49 at 1080p Medium and 41 at 1440p Medium indicate that the game's fixed camera angles and scripted sequences can cause frame rate dips, but these remain within acceptable bounds for the horror genre's slower pacing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2026 out of 2911 tested combinations in The Medium, placing it in the 69.6th percentile of all combos. This positioning reflects the significant imbalance between the high-end CPU and the mid-range GPU.

The CPU itself is a top-tier performer, ranking in the 96th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rivals — the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K at 83807, the AMD EPYC 4584PX at 83090, and the AMD EPYC 9135 at 82980 — are all within 1.2% of its score, indicating that the 290K Plus sits at the very top of the CPU performance hierarchy. The CPU's 24 cores and 24 threads, boost clock of 5.80 GHz, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache provide substantial headroom for any game's CPU demands.

In contrast, the GPU's 62nd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it firmly in the mid-range segment. Its average benchmark score of 18093 is nearly identical to the RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, -0.4%), the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373, -1.5%). This means the RTX 2060 SUPER is competitive with laptop-class GPUs and entry-level desktop parts, not with the high-end desktop GPUs that would complement the 290K Plus's processing power.

The combo ranking of 2026 out of 2911 indicates that this pairing is not optimal for The Medium specifically. The game's performance is clearly GPU-bound, as evidenced by the resolution scaling analysis and the fact that the CPU's capabilities far exceed what the GPU can utilize. The 2026th position suggests that many other CPU-GPU pairings achieve better results in this game, likely because they pair the mid-range GPU with a more modest CPU, or pair a high-end CPU with a more powerful GPU.

The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck in any scenario. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is least stressed, the average FPS of 92 is limited by the GPU's rendering capabilities rather than the CPU's ability to feed it frames. The CPU's single-core performance of 7303 in Cinebench R23 and multi-core score of 51731 are both exceptional, and the PassMark single-thread score of 4823 confirms that this processor can handle any game's thread scheduling requirements.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers the following average FPS results across the four settings presets:

• Low: 92 FPS average
• Medium: 57 FPS average, with min 49 and max 66
• High: 41 FPS average
• Ultra: 33 FPS average

The 1080p results show a clear progression of performance degradation as settings increase. The gap between Low and Medium is 35 FPS, between Medium and High is 16 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 8 FPS. This tapering effect suggests that the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth become increasingly saturated as more visual effects are enabled.

At 2560x1440, the measured results are:

• Low: 77 FPS average
• Medium: 48 FPS average, with min 41 and max 55
• High: 35 FPS average
• Ultra: 27 FPS average

The 1440p results show a more pronounced drop from Low to Medium (29 FPS difference) compared to 1080p (35 FPS difference), indicating that the GPU's fill rate becomes a more significant constraint at this resolution. The Medium min of 41 FPS and max of 55 FPS show a 14 FPS range, which is tighter than the 17 FPS range at 1080p Medium, suggesting more consistent frame pacing at this resolution despite lower average FPS.

At 3840x2160, the results are:

• Low: 61 FPS average
• Medium: 38 FPS average, with min 32 and max 43
• High: 27 FPS average
• Ultra: 21 FPS average

The 4K results demonstrate the GPU's limitations most clearly. The Low preset manages to stay above 60 FPS, but Medium drops to 38 FPS, and High and Ultra fall below 30 FPS. The Medium min of 32 FPS is particularly notable, as it approaches the 30 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for playable frame rates.

Across all resolutions and settings, the data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for Low and Medium settings, but the GPU's compute capabilities (7.181 TFLOPS FP32) and pixel rate (105.6 GPixel/s) limit performance at higher presets. The 34 RT cores are likely underutilized in this game, as the performance drops from Medium to High suggest traditional shading and texture work are the primary bottlenecks.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache, totaling 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die.

In The Medium, the CPU's role is largely supportive, as the game's performance is overwhelmingly GPU-bound. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work to do, the average FPS reaches 92 — a result that, while respectable, does not approach the CPU's theoretical limits. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and single-core score of 7303 indicate that it can handle far more demanding workloads than this game presents.

The CPU's 24 cores and 24 threads provide ample parallel processing capability for the game's background tasks, asset streaming, and physics calculations. The PassMark multithread score of 60860 and data compression score of 698346 suggest that the CPU can handle any data-intensive operations the game might require, such as level loading and texture decompression, without becoming a bottleneck.

The boost clock of 5.80 GHz is particularly relevant for games like The Medium that have significant single-threaded components. The Cinebench R15 single-core score of 736 and Cinebench R20 single-core score of 3067 confirm that this processor excels at single-threaded workloads, which helps maintain consistent frame pacing even when the GPU is under heavy load.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR5 interface and its PCIe Gen 5 support with 20 lanes provide more than enough throughput for the GPU to access system memory and for fast data transfer between components. The 24-thread configuration, while not utilizing hyperthreading (24 threads for 24 cores), still offers significant parallelism for any multi-threaded game engine tasks.

Given the GPU's mid-range positioning (62nd percentile), the CPU's 96th percentile performance is far beyond what this game requires. The data indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution or settings level. Even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 21, the bottleneck is clearly the GPU's inability to render the frame quickly enough, not the CPU's ability to issue draw calls or process game logic. The CPU's 5.80 GHz boost clock and 36 MB of L3 cache ensure that the game's main thread runs efficiently, with minimal frame time variance attributable to CPU stalls.